Plant packaging carton



R.'E. BROWN PLANT PACKAGING CARTON May 22, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 13, 1960 g g F1622.

ATTORNEYS y 1962 R. E. BROWN 3,035,751

PLANT PACKAGING CARTON .INVENTOR ATTORNEYE United States Pater 16C) 3,035,751 PLANT PACKAGING CARTON Robert E. Brown, Fort Meade, Fla., assignor to Goochland Nurseries, Inc., Pembroke, Fla, a corporation of Florida Filed June 13, 1960, Ser. No. 35,685 1 Claim. (Cl. 22939) This invention relates to the packaging art, and is specifically directed to an improved package for containing, shipping, and mailing live plants, miniature trees, and like living botanical specimens.

Various packages and containers for shipping plants over extended distances have been developed by various workers in the art. Other containers have been developed for plants, either potted or not, which are satisfactory as temporary shielding containers for use on display tables in a store, or for such similar purposes, but not for shipping. An example of a box package for a plant is that shown in US. Patent 1,991,478, issued February 19, 1935. Another earlier example is that shown in US. Patent 1,606,523, issued November 9, 1926; and still another carton for plants, flowers and the like is shown in US. Patent 1,669,617 issued May 15, 1928, although this last patent does not describe a carton, but only a three-sided structure. A more recent effort in this direction is shown in US. Patent 2,830,405. In this last-mentioned patent, a carton is not really providedthe structure is in the form of a wrap-around tube.

It is an object of this invention to provide a new and novel plant package and carton therefor which is suitable for shipment of individual plants, while protecting the same, and which is at the same time suitable for direct display and sale to the consumer. objects of this invention is the provision of such a plant packaging carton which achieves the above purposes, and which at the same time affords improved protection for the plant, and maintains the same in a relatively secure and stable position within the carton so that damage during rough handling is, at least, minimized.

Other objects of this invention will become apparent from the following description thereof, which description will relate to the attached drawings which further illustrate the invention in certain specific embodiments thereof.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a plant packaging carton constructed in accordance with the principles of this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the blank stamped cardboard sheet which is used to fold into the carton of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a top view of the completed carton, in closed position;

FIGURE 4 is a cross-section of the carton of FIG- URE 1, taken longitudinally through the middle thereof along the lines 4-'4, see FIGURE 3, with the top flaps closed;

FIGURE 5 is a cross-section of the carton shown in FIGURE 4 taken along the lines 5-5; and

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view, partly broken away and partly in cross-section of the carton shown in FIG- URES 1-5, the section being taken along the lines 6-6 in FIGURE 4.

Referring to FIGURE 1, it will be seen that a carton, generally designated as 10, is provided having sidewalls 12a, 12b and 126, and a sidewall 14 containing an opening or window portion 16, which may be generally oval in shape. Window portion 16 need not have that specific form, but may vary in edge contour, as desired. Of course, the Window should not be so large as to eifect the structural stability and rigidity of the carton. The

Included within the carton is closed at its top and bottom by means of endforming parts which include first inner folding flaps l8t and 18b, 20t and 20b; median flaps 22t and 22b, with folding inserts 24: and 24b; and outer flaps 26t and 26!), with locking inserts 282. and 28b. Along the fold lines 291 and 29b between median flaps 22t and 22b and the side 12c integral therewith is provided locking slot openings 30: and 30b. As can be seen most clearly from FIG- URES 3 and 4, when the carton is closed, median flaps 22t and 22b are folded in against inner flaps 18t, 18b, 201? and 20b, with folding inserts 241 and 24b lined against the respective ends of window sidewall 14; and outer flaps 26: and 26b are folded over median flaps 22t and 22b with locking inserts 28t and 28b against sidewall 12c. Thus each end of the carton is closed with at least a 3-ply layer of closing flaps, afiording strong and wellsecured end construction.

As will be especially seen from FIGURES 2 and 4 sidewall 12c is also provided with an edge tab 32. The outer surface of edge tab 32 may be provided with a suitable adhesive material, so that when the carton is assembled it will adhere to the inner surface of sidewall 12a along its entire longitudinal length, thereby forming the box. 'This invention is not, however, limited to any particular means for fastening edge tab 32 to sidewall 12a; in place of adhesive a mechanical securing element may be used, such as ordinary staples or brads.

When the carton is thus assembled, and edge tab 32 secured to sidewall 12a, bottom flap members 18b, 20b, 22b, 24b, 26b and 28b may then be closed. At this point, except for window 16, the external appearance of the carton Will be similar to any elongated rectangular box. The carton is also in condition for inserting the potted plant to be contained therein. The plant 33, in its pot 34 may be simply dropped or slid into the carton through the open top, and the pot 34 will, of course, come to rest'against the closed bottom flaps 18b, as shown in FIGURE 4.

It will be recognized that with the pot 34 and plant 33 inserted in the carton, if the carton is turned upside down at this stage, the plant and its pot Will fall against the top of the carton. The contents of the carton will thereby be damaged, perhaps irrevocably.

In order to prevent this from happening, the blank from which the carton of this invention is made is cut and scored to provide corner detents, arranged to be recessed with slight pressure so as to be defined by short sidewalls forming a right angle inverse to the right angle formed at the edges of the carton by the side walls thereof.

This construction in the blank can be seen from FIG- URE 2 wherein a series of detent formers 40 are outlined by cut lines 44 and 46, and by score lines 48 and 50. It will be noted that score lines 48 and 50 are disposed on adjacent sidewalls of the carton for each detent former part 40. Also it will be seen that detent former 40 is comprised of a portion of edge tab 32, as well as the otherwise corresponding elements scored and cut from sidewalls 12a and 12c. When the carton is assembled, and edge tab 32 is secured to the inside of sidewalL'12a, each of these detent formers may be snapped inwardly so that the cross-section of the cart-on at the level thereof, i.e along line 66 will have the form of a cross, see FIGURE 6. Each recessed detent 40 is then composed of two sidewalls 52 and 54, of small dimension in comparison with the sidewalls of the carton itself, which detent sidewalls form a right angle and inverse to and opposed to the right angle B formed by the sidewalls of the carton. This is best seen in the perspective cutaway view of FIGURE 6.

The detents 40, extending inwardly into the carton, will directly engage the upper edge 36 of the pot 34 containing the plant 33, and securely hold the same in position at the lower or bottom end of the carton. Even if the box is now turned upside down, thepot will be held in place, and physical damage to the plant by its sliding downwardly in the top of the carton, is prevented. Of course, the-dimensions of the pot, whether'circnlar or-squa're, should be such as to fit snugly within the interior-of the carton so that the maximum bearing surface will be suitably engaged by the in-turned detents.

-Oncesnapped in, the detents will remain in position because of the dimensions of the opening. That is, in order for the detents to pass from the open (unsnapped) position to the closed (snapped inward) position it is necessary for both sidewalls 52 and 54 to pass, substantially simultaneously through ;an opening defined by the plane defined 'by'score lines 48-and 50' in the assembled carton, and only about 70% of the combined length of walls 52 and-54. This can be'done only because the structural members are somewhat resilient and flex sufliciently to permit the required movement being made of cardboard or similar construction material. Once the detents are snapped in, they take on a stable inverse deformation at score line 49, and the deformation forces importantly hold'the detent in place. Additionally because of the shape of the pot (its diameter reducing, downwardly), forces to snap'thedetent outward cannot reasonably develop within the carton. This is particularly true with all of' the end flaps closed on locked in position, these serving to maintain the square and rectangular dimensions of the entire carton.

While this invention has been illustrated with reference to specific embodiments thereof, it will be understood that it islimited only bythe spirit-and scope of the following claim.

I claim:

A carton for containinga pottedplant-comprising: four generally rectangular carton side walls of substantially identical dimension secured'to one another to define arectangular chamber having two opposed ends; closure flap means associated with the ends of said side wallsfor forming endwalls of said chamber, said cham- -ber being unobstructed between its ends prior to insertion of the potted plant and the closure flap means associated with one end of said chamber forming an end wall normal to said side walls when in the closed position; means associated with said closure flap means at each end of said chamber for interlocking said closure flap means and retaining same in a closed position; detent forming means associated with at least two opposite corners formed by adjacent side walls of said carton, each said detent forming means including a pair of detent side Walls, each said detent side wall having (1) a pair of parallel free "edges each extending in planesgenerally parallel to said normal end wall of said chamber, the free edge closest to said normal end Wall being spaced from said normal end wall a distance at least equal to but not substantially greater than the height of the pot to be held in said chamber; (2) an edge substantially normal to said planes and in common with the other side wall of the pair, (3) another edge opposed to andtsubstantiallyparallel to said common edge and in common with one of said adjacent carton thereafter in a closed position wherein each of said detent sidewalls is generally perpendicular to its adjacent carton side wall and to its adjacent detent side Wall.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,088,964 Buchman Mar. 3, 1914 1,141,489 Richardson June 1, 1915 1,606,523 Gardner Nov. 9,-1926 2,692,077 Kuhlman Oct. 19, 1954 2,837,264 R0118 June 3, 1958 Wr nk 

